Exposition of Proverbs 11-12, Biblical commentary · Chapter 12 · Verse 10
Verſe 10. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beaſt: but the mercies of the wicked are cruell.
THE purpoſe and drift of theſe words tendeth to this, that eueryevery godly and righteous man is alſo mercifull: and that no wicked perſon can poſſibly hauehave any true pitie or compaſſion in him. A righteous man, eueryevery one that feareth God and is faithfull, regardeth the life of his beaſt, his louelove and kindneſſe and good dealing is ſo plentifull to men, and eſpecially thoſe which depend vponupon him, and be of his charge, and at his finding, that it ſloweth ouer alſo to the cattell, and creatures which hee oweth or vſeth, or is put in truſt to looke to, or hath opportunitie offered to preſerue from hurt or periſhing. But the mercies of the wicked, thoſe actions and waies of theirs which carrie the faireſt ſhew and colour of merciemercy, are cruell, hauehave crueltie mixed therewith, either in purpoſe, or manner or euent inſuing thereupon.
Doct. MercieMercy is to be ſhewed not onelyonly to men, but to the vnreaſonable creatures alſo. As all creatures doe taſte of, and liue by the abundant liberalitie and bountifulnes of Gods hand, ſo would he hauehave them to feele by ſenſe, though they cannot diſcerne it by reaſon, that there is alſo care for them and compaſſion in his children. Why did he forbid to kill the damme when they had taken away her yong ones, but that he would hauehave it knowne, that he alloweth not crueltie and wrong to be offered ſo much as to the fillieſt birds? The reſtraint that was of eating of blood, when the beaſts were dead, declared that he would not hauehave tyrannie exerciſed Leuit. 17. 10.on them whiles they are aliue.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt, let vsus conſider that God hath made them all, and his they are, and he is good vntounto them, and prouident for their preſeruation, as the Prophet ſaith, Thou, Lord, doeſt ſaue both man and beaſt. Pſal. 36. 6.And therefore we ſhall both ſhew our ſelues vnlike to him, and hurtfull to his, if we offer abuſe and wrong vntounto them.
Secondly, be hath lent them to vsus for our help and ſeruice, and by their tranaile are we eaſed, or by their fleſh, or fleece, or milke, or increaſe, or ſome other profit made of them are we relieued, beſides the delight that many of the miniſter to vsus: and therfore how vnthankfull ſhould we be to him that dealeth ſo kindly with vsus, how vnfaithfull to him that committeth his goodes to our hands, how vniuſt to them that are ſo ſeruiceable to vsus, if we be not carefull that they hauehave good vſage?
Thirdly, if we vſe our ſelues in conſcience and compaſſion to looke well to our beaſts, wee cannot but deale more mercifullie with men: but if we accuſtome our ſelues to bee cruell to them, wee ſhall in time grow to bee fierce and violent towards our brethren.
Vſe. 1 Inſtruction, that wee ſhould not onelyonly exerciſe good husbandrie in keeping our cattell well, that they may doe vsus the more worke, or carrie vsus the better, or liue the longer, or be more ſaleable, but alſo to practiſe the dutie of righteouſneſſe in obeying God herein. That is certaine that many wicked men regard the liues of their beaſts and prouide plentie of foode for them, yet not in merciemercy but in couetouſneſſe: not in louelove to the creature, or him that made it; but in deſire of their owne gaine and lucre: for they reſpect their horſes, ſheepe and oxen, more then their neighbours ſtate, or their owne ſaluation; but theſe are not the righteous men which are here commended: A preſident and example of faithfull regard of his beaſt, is to be found in the ſeruant of Abraham, in his iourney to Nahors citie, in Aram Naharaim, who when he was come to the place, whither hee was ſent, tooke order firſt that the Camels ſhould bee vnſadled, and meated, and hauehave litter put vntounto them, and then dealt in the buſines wherein Gen. 24. 32.hee was imployed, and after theſe things tooke his owne refection.
Reproofe of thoſe that requite euill for good to the poore beaſts that trauell for them, and vnderunder them, whom they deale as hardly with, as if they were rather noiſome & hurtfull vntounto them. Many waies they oppreſſe them, as with burdens too heauie, with ſtripes too many, with ſpurring too often, with pace too ſwift, with iourneyes too long, with meate too little, with dreſſing too ſlender &c. The Lord hath inioyned them perpetuall ſilence, neuer to complaine of theſe things, though they groane vnderunder them, otherwiſe if they had libertie of ſpeech and reaſon to lay open their grieuances, the wronges which they ſuſtaine would appeare to bee great, and many. And yet in an other ſort, more extremitie then this is vſed againſt other ſorts of creatures, and that is when men make a ſport of making them miſerable: when it is a pleaſure to put them to paine: when it is a paſtime to behold their torment and tearing. This proceedeth not of a tender heart: this is not the worke of righteouſneſſe: this delight will leaue no comfort behind it. HaueHave our ſins in Adam brought ſuch calamities vponupon them, and ſhall we adde vntounto them by crueltie in our owne perſons? HaueHave our corruptions been a cauſe of that fierceneſſe that is in many of them one againſt another, and ſhall we ſolace our ſelues in ſeeing them execute it? God forbid. If wee doe, it may iuſtly returne vponupon our ſelues, their teeth, or hornes, or pawes aſſaulting vsus, or elſe Gods owne hand by ſome other meanes, reuenging their wronges.
Doct. 2 But the mercies, &c. All the fauours that ſinfull men ſhew, doe commonly tend to ſome hurt.
The Lord doth often vſe the wicked as inſtruments of good vntounto his children; but though they do the worke, yet he ſheweth the merciemercy: their hands and tongues are not ſo much directed by their owne louelove and kindnes, as by his purpoſe and prouidence. Iacob was not ignorant of this point, when he refuſed the curteous offer of Eſau, who would either himſelfe hauehave been a companion to him in his way, or left ſome of his ſeruants behind Gen. 33. 12. 13. 15.to gard him. When Saul pretended moſt readines to bring Dauid to preferment by matching him with his daughter, his meaning was to bring him to deſtruction by putting him into the 1. Sam. 18. 17.hands of the Philiſtins.
Reaſons. 1 Firſt generally true merciemercy is peculiarly appropriated to the godly as all the fruites and graces of the ſpirit are; and therefore the ſemblance of it in the wicked proceedeth from the fleſh, and is euermore counterfeit, corrupt, and fleſhly.
Secondly in ſpecial, they vſually tranſuert their fauor & iuſtice, ſhewing merciemercy where they ſhould exerciſe ſeueritie, and practiſing crueltie where they ſhould ſhew merciemercy. Saul was ſo pitifull that he would ſpare Agag, though God commanded to ſlay him; but Dauid ſhould hauehave died if hee could hauehave caught him: And hee made no ſcruple in killing foureſcore and fiue Prieſts of 1. Sam. 22. 18. 19.the Lord in one houre; it was a ſmall matter in his eyes, to ſmite a whole citie of innocent people with the edge of the ſword, both man and woman, both child and ſuckling, beſides all their cattell. And ſo Ahab gaue Benhadad King of Aram to know, that he would vſe him like a brother, and graunt him his life, whom God appointed to be handled like an enemie, and put to death: but he dealt with the Prophets of Iſrael in an other manner, and ſlew as many of them as he could come by. Euen the very ſparing of notable wicked perſons, is a decree of crueltie againſt the righteous, as they be iniurious to the liues of the ſheep and lambs, that permit the wolues and foxes to liue and breede among them.
They vſe to peruert, and ouerturne all their good turnes, at one time or other, with miſchiefe or hurt either outwardly, or to the ſoules of them whom they make beholden to them.
Vſe. 1 Inſtruction not to be like to them, or to conforme our ſelues to their waies. Let louelove be in our rebukes: let compaſſion bee in our ſtripes: let our ſeueritie be mercifull; but neuer let our mercies be cruell. 2. Not to caſt our ſelues into their hands in hope that they will be fauourable to vsus; if their meekeneſſe, if their mildnes, if their merciemercy bee cruellie, how immeaſurably cruell will their malice, and wrath, and rage and furie be?
Reproofe of thoſe that neuer exerciſe any other merciemercy then that which is here condemned. They are very carefull for their familie and people that they ſhall hauehave refreſhing, and libertie for their ſports, and delights, but it is onelyonly on the Lords day, when it doth more harme to their ſoules, then good to their bodies; for they will ſpare them no time from their owne workes, when they may recreat themſelues with a good conſcience. Others are as forward in giuing; they will be like to Iob, not to eate their morſels alone, but the poore ſhall euer hauehave part with them: but the choiſe of their almſmen is altogether vnlike to Iobs; for hee relieued the fatherleſſe, and widowes, and poore impotent perſons; and they beſtow vponupon a filthie generation of idle vagabonds, whom Iob chaſed from the very preſence & companie of people.Iob 30. 5.
Others will declare how pitifull they are, by helping men that are in deſtreſſes, and therefore if they might hauehave their wills, there ſhould not be ſo many puniſhed. But whoſe impunitie doe they ſeeke for? whom would they hauehave to eſcape either whip, or goale, or gallows? not ſuch as be vniuſtly accuſed: not ſuch as be ouertaken with ſmall infirmities: not ſuch as ſhew themſelues moſt penitent for their faults; but thoſe that are ordinarie, obſtinate, and impudent malefactors, and moſt pernitious and grieuous offenders. Theſe are as full of compaſſion as the Iewes were of merciemercy, when they cried to Pilate, Barrabas, Barrabas, let Barrabas liue and be deliuered.